The Courtship of the King & Queen
by The Legend of Rune Factory
Summary: *Frozen Prequel* Prince Georg was not expecting to run into a beautiful young woman during one of his outings. He is immediately smitten with her and continues to sneak out of the castle to be at her side. However, Lydia isn't royalty; she's the daughter of a clockmaker. As prince of Arendelle Georg must marry another royal, even if his heart is already taken by a commoner.
1. Welcome to Arendelle

**I'd like to point out a few things before we get started here. I've named the King Georg and the Queen Lydia for this fic. Since they don't have canon names, I had to get a little creative. Also keep in mind there _is_ a Queen Elsa used here. It is _not_ Queen Elsa from _Frozen_. This is a prequel, after all. Hopefully I cleared up some confusion there, so please, enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I only own OCs.**

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The horse's hooves struck up sparks on the cobblestone as the young prince rode into the courtyard. He pulled back the reins to stop just before he crashed into his friend. "Kai! What a surprise." He dismounted, straightening his jacket.

Kai rolled his eyes. "Your parents have been looking everywhere for you!"

"Oh please, what's going to happen if I'm a little late for breakfast? Is the world going to cave in?"

"You _know_ how angry your father gets when you disappear like this!"

The prince stopped stroking his steed's nose and turned to frown at his childhood friend. "They'll be fine. You worry too much."

"Georg, you can't keep doing this to them!" Kai ran his fingers through his light brown hair. "Now come on, you'd better get into the castle before your father finds out what you've been doing."

Prince Georg finally sighed and handed off the reins to his friend. "Fine, fine. I'll go talk to them." As he began walking to the entrance to the castle, he threw a shout over his shoulder. "It's not like they don't already know!"

"Just come up with a convincing lie!" Kai laughed before leading the prince's horse into the stables.

Two guards opened the heavy doors for the prince, granting him entrance to Arendelle Castle. Georg attempted to smooth out his hair and unwrinkled his clothing before meeting with his parents, King Adrian and Queen Elsa II. They would be angry with him, surely, but hopefully his mother would be in attendance to ensure her husband didn't punish their remaining child too harshly.

It had only been a few years since his older sister married the Prince of Corona, becoming queen of the realm. As happy as they were for her, and as joyous as her marriage was, it was overshadowed by the fact the heir to the throne, Princess Rapunzel, was missing. Georg never mentioned it in his letters to his sister, and only talked about it when she brought up the subject during her annual visits.

Georg took a deep breath before he strode into the dining room. "Good morning, Mother." He approached her first, bowing to her. "Good morning, Father." He saluted the king and slid into his seat.

"You're late." King Adrian frowned deeply at his son, his auburn eyebrows pulling low over his eyes. "_Again_."

"I was out for a morning ride." Georg grabbed a roll from a nearby basket and began pulling it apart to pop bits into his mouth. "Sorry I got a little distracted."

The queen sighed softly. "Georg, dear, you have to start paying attention to what you're doing. It's very inconvenient for your father and me to be late each morning due to your tardiness. Do you understand?"

"Of course I understand." He nodded and pulled some meat onto his plate. "I'll try harder."

"You say that every single morning…" Adrian reached up to rub his eyes, obviously annoyed. "Georg, if you're late again I'm going to have to take extreme measures."

Here the prince stalled. He swallowed and nodded slowly. "Yes Father."

"Now, hurry yourself so you're not late to your lessons."

Georg began stuffing his face full of food, hardly saving time for swallowing or a drink in between. He smirked as he heard his mother giggle. The king, however, was less than pleased. "Elsa, you're only encouraging him!" He cried.

"Oh Adrian, let the poor boy alone. He's only doing what you asked of him." She smiled warmly. "I think it's rather cute."

"Elsa…" He groaned.

The queen reached over to pat his arm. "Just eat your breakfast, my dear."

Georg quickly finished and pushed away from the table. "May I be excused?"

"Of course." Elsa nodded at him. "Though if I find out you skipped your lessons again I'm not going to be very happy!"

"Oh, when have I ever made you unhappy on purpose?" He grabbed an apple from the table before rushing out, glad to be away from his parents. His expression fell as he walked through the corridors toward the study where he knew his tutor awaited. Like every other day he lived in the castle, he wished desperately the afternoon would come sooner; for with the afternoon came his freedom.

* * *

"So this is Arendelle…"

"Pretty, ain't it?" The older man gazed down at her. "Welcome to our new home."

She smiled slightly. "It _is_ very pretty…" The smile faded as she remembered that Arendelle was not the place her mother was buried. Arendelle was not the place she grew up.

Arendelle was completely new.

As they rode into the town, she noticed how happy the citizens seemed to be. Several waved or tipped their hats as they passed by. Her father returned the gestures with his own hat. "They seem like wonderful people," She commented.

"Aye, Lydia. I think we can make a fine living here." He clicked his tongue at their old mare pulling the cart to steer her in the right direction. "The fjord's a beauty, that's for sure."

Lydia allowed her gaze to travel to the fjord was glistened beyond the docks. Nestled in the mountains, Arendelle spread out over a small plot of land before the castle and up into the forests. She knew they would be living in the heart of town. Her father's clock-making business was sure to flourish that way.

She remained silent as they traveled; preferring to listen to the wind and the way the cart bounced and rolled over the cobblestone street. She waved politely at the townsfolk but otherwise made to motion. So focused on her surroundings was she that when the cart halted she pitched forward with a grunt.

Her father patted her back. "You okay there?"

"I'm all right." She flashed him a smile before jumping down from the driver's bench. "This is ours?"

He groaned as he climbed down. "Yeah. Here." He fished a key from his pocket and handed it off to her. "Here ya go. Open 'er up and let's have a look."

Lydia took a deep breath before she stuck the key into the lock on the door. Twisting it sharply to the side, she heard a click that signaled it unlocked. She turned the doorknob and pushed open the door. "Oh."

Light filtered in through the dirty windows and dust covered almost everything inside. She took a few steps in the building, careful as the floorboards creaked. "Well, it'll take a bit of cleaning, but it's perfect." She turned around to grin at her father. "It's perfect for us."

He joined her inside and allowed his gaze to trail around. Shelves lined the walls and a counter was placed near a staircase leading to the second floor. He nodded, wrapping an arm around his daughter. "Your mother'd be proud of us."

"Mother…" She felt pain stab at her heart. Ignoring it, she raised her head to gaze at him. "She would be."

"Well, we should start unpacking. We've got a lot of work ahead of us." He turned and lumbered back out to the cart.

Lydia reached up to wrap her small hand around the locket that rested against her neck. "Welcome to Arendelle, Mother," She whispered. Holding back the tears that pricked at her eyes, she whirled to assist her father in preparing their new home.


	2. Collide

**Here, this chapter is a bit more substantial. Georg and Lydia's adventures continue! Please, enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, save for OCs. (Keep in mind Georg and Lydia aren't technically OCs)**

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Mathias swiped a hand across his brow and he stood up, his vertebrae cracking into place. "It looks better already."

"Mm-hm." Lydia glanced up from her cleaning to admire the repairs he'd done. "It does."

One of the clocks they managed to hang on the wall chimed twice, signaling that it was just now two o'clock in the afternoon. Mathias collapsed in a nearby chair they had yet to carry upstairs. "It's hard work, fixin' this place up."

"But worth it." She continued to scrub the floorboards.

"Lydia, don't work yourself to death." He clapped his hands on his knees. "Here now. Why don't you run into town and get us a bit of supper and we'll have a break?"

She looked up at her father, some strands of mahogany hair falling over her forehead. "A-are you sure? I can try to fix the shelves myself if you'd like to go."

"Nonsense, Lydia." He fished some coin from his trouser pocket and tossed her the small bag. "Go have some fun. Explore a bit. Just come back to me in one piece." He smiled with a wink.

The young woman nodded and got to her feet. Removing her apron, she folded it over the counter and looked to the door. "I'll be back." She glanced back at him before stepping into the sunshine.

At first the light stung her cerulean eyes, but she soon managed to blink away the sensation and turn toward the village. This late in the day there were very few food vendors around and instead stalls selling various wares were set up. She couldn't help but be entranced by a particular stall filled to overflowing with summer flowers. Surely her father could wait a little while, she reasoned.

"Good afternoon, my dear."

Her head snapped up to find the source of the voice. A kindly older woman gazed at her from being the flowers. "Oh. G-good afternoon."

"Are you looking for anything in particular?"

Lydia shook her head. "No, I'm just…" Her voice trailed. She didn't really know what she was doing, exactly.

The woman smiled gently. "I don't think I've seen you around before. Are you new in Arendelle?"

"Yes. My father and I just moved here a few days ago." Lydia tried to force herself to smile in response. "He's a clockmaker."

"Ah, I see." The woman's attention was grabbed by the sound of a horse approaching. "You may want to come a bit closer, dear."

Lydia tilted her head slightly but did as told. "Whatever for?"

At that moment a brilliant white horse galloped by, its rider whooping with joy. Lydia felt the rush of air as he passed and stumbled around before catching herself. "Who was that?!" She cried, looking after him.

"That would be Prince Georg of Arendelle." The woman walked around the stall to help Lydia get her bearings. "Oh my dear girl, are you all right?"

She found herself shaking at the woman's touch. "I-I'm fine. I… I have to go." She waved her thanks before scurrying away.

Since her own mother died earlier that same year, she found the touch of other human beings, especially females, to bring unwanted memories and pain to the surface. She didn't want their sympathetic looks or their gentle voices telling her how "it'd be all right". Because it wouldn't be all right; her mother was dead and was never coming back.

Lydia took a deep breath to calm herself and continued her search of food. She could most likely purchase a light meal from one of the cafés and take it back to her father. It would be good enough for her, at least. Oh, but he wasn't as small as she was, and he would need a lot of energy in order to ready the shop… She checked what little money he gave her. It would be enough to buy him a substantial meal. As long as her father could get his work done, she didn't mind skipping a meal or two.

With these thoughts in mind, she ducked into the nearest restaurant. When the man at the bar waved her over, she timidly approached him. He leaned on the wood and smiled. "What can I get you?"

"Well, I need to take something back for my father…" She dumped the contents of the small pouch on the counter. "I don't know how much you need, but what can you do with this?"

The man counted up her coin and nodded. "I'll be right back, don't you worry."

She waited until he disappeared to sit herself at the bar on one of the stools. Her feet dangled above the ground as she proved a bit too short to properly sit on them like a man would. She didn't mind, though; rather she contented herself with looking around the quaint area. The restaurant was only about half full, mostly men or couples sitting at tables near the windows.

"Here you go!"

She turned to see a brown paper bag sitting before her. "Er… What is it?"

"Fresh sandwiches. And a little surprise." He winked at her. Unlike the good-natured ones from her father, this sent a small shiver down her spine.

"Thank you…" She gathered it in her arms and exited the café as soon as she could. Food in her possession, she decided it was high time she got back to her father.

As Lydia was passing the woman from before, she heard the horse again. She turned to see the white animal blazing toward her.

"_Whoa!_"

She barely had time to gasp before she felt herself flying backward, the bag falling all over the cobblestone. Her head hit the ground with a sharp crack and she lay dazed. An unfamiliar face appeared above her and she struggled to make out what he was saying.

"Can you hear me?"

"Y-yes…" She gingerly sat up with his assistance.

"I apologize. Are you all right?" He felt over the back of her head gently, stopping when she winced. "Oh. Oh no. My parents are going to—No, wait, that doesn't matter right now. I'm so sorry. Here, let me help you up."

Lydia managed to get to her feet before a bout of dizziness nearly sent her to the ground again. "Whoa, hey!" He pulled her arm around his shoulders. "This isn't good…"

The woman from the stall walked over to them. "Well, Your Highness, you've finally gotten yourself into some real trouble. Bring her over here." She led him to a bench near her stall. "I'll see to getting her something to drink, perhaps." She rushed off then.

He sat next to her and kept his gaze glued on her in case she fainted. "Feeling a little better?"

Lydia blinked and nodded weakly. "I think so…" She held her head in her hands with a soft groan. "Oh…"

"I am so sorry, miss. I didn't mean to hit you with my horse."

"That's what hit me?" She glanced at him sideways.

"Yes, I'm afraid so. I wasn't watching where I was going, and when I take my afternoon rides I like to go fast, but… Well, I figured everyone already knew to stay out of my way, but I suppose I was wrong." He smiled before his eyes widened. "Where are my manners?" At this he stood and bowed before her. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Prince Georg of Arendelle."

She snapped her head up to look at him, wincing as she did so. "Y-you're…" She attempted to scramble to her feet to curtsy, or bow, or something; her father never really taught her how to properly address the nobility.

He gently placed his hand on her shoulder and forced her to remain seated. "Don't worry about it. So your name is…?"

"Lydia. My name is Lydia, Your Highness." Her gaze flickered over his face. A bit of his auburn hair flopped over his forehead from his ride and his jade eyes sparkled as he spoke to her. He offered her a lopsided smile, which she gladly returned. "Thank you."

At once his kind expression changed to one of utter confusion. "For what? I nearly killed you!"

"No, no. For helping me. I'm sorry I ended up in your path. I should have been paying attention myself." She shrugged slightly. "I recently moved to Arendelle, so I'm afraid I'm not used to it yet."

"That explains it." He turned as the woman from before reappeared. "Thank you, madam." He took the water from her before passing it to Lydia.

The woman nodded. "Of course. Are you all right, my dear?" She turned her attention to the girl.

"I'll be fine, thank you." Lydia smiled weakly. "I should probably go home before my father starts to worry…" She stood up and handed back the cup. A soft gasp escaped her lips at the sight of her forgotten bag strewn across the road. The contents were spilled across the cobblestone.

Georg knelt next to the mess as a piece of parchment caught his eye. He picked it up and glanced it over, his cheeks taking on a red hue. "Oh." He stuffed it in his belt as he stood. "Lydia, I apologize deeply. Not only did I hurt you, I caused you to lose whatever this was."

"I-it's fine. It'll be fine." She bit her lip nervously. "It will be."

His eyes narrowed. "I'll replace it all."

"No, that won't be necessary—"

"I insist!" He clasped her hand, his intense gaze boring into her. "Please."

Lydia glanced from their hands to his face and back again. "Er… Okay then."

"Wonderful."

She felt her face heat up in a blush. "Your Highness, you can let go of my hand now…"

"Oh!" He dropped his arms to his sides, reaching up one hand to rub the back of his neck. "I'm sorry, that was awkward. Well not you. I'm awkward; you're gorgeous—Wait, what?" He looked away from her. "I'm sorry, Lydia!"

Lydia giggled softly. "I don't have a problem with it, Prince Georg."

Immediately the prince brightened, happiness sparkling in his eyes and a grin on his face. He held out his arm for her. "Well, then let me buy you your whatever it was."

"My supper. And my father's supper."

"Right. Supper on me, then."

She hesitated as he kept his arm held out for her. "Are you sure you should be doing this? I'm just a peasant girl, after all, and I—"

"I don't bite, Lydia." His expression softened and he waved his elbow at her slightly. "I promise."

Tentatively hooking her arm with his, she slid into position next to him. "Thank you, Your Highness."

The royal nodded and a few more strands of auburn hair fell over his forehead, into his eyes. "Please… Call me Georg."


	3. That Girl

**I apologize for the wait. By the way, the age difference between Rapunzel and Elsa is about 1-2 years, closer to two. Just keep that in mind if they're ever brought up again.**

**Disclaimer: I only own OCs.**

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"Prince Georg, are you even paying attention?"

Georg blinked rapidly and turned his attention to his tutor. "Huh?"

The older man pinched the bridge of his nose. "Your Highness, at this rate you will have to continue studying trigonometry well into the summer. You're behind as it is."

"Sorry. I'll pay attention." He readjusted himself in the chair and held his ink pen to the paper. As his tutor went back to the lecture, the prince's focus once again shifted to the window of the large library. Sunlight streamed in through the glass and he wanted nothing more than to take a ride into town.

In honesty, he wanted to see her again.

_Lydia._

Oh, he wouldn't deny she was beautiful. Her mahogany hair shone in the spring sun, her clear blue eyes lighting up with happiness whenever she laughed. And he had made her laugh, eventually. It took a few bad jokes and a one terrible pun, but he managed to make her laugh. He wanted to hear it again. He _hurt_ to hear it again.

At first he felt genuinely sorry he'd hit the poor girl with his horse, nearly concussing her and causing her to lose the meal she bought for herself and her father. She was very quiet, apologizing to him, _him_, _of all people_, that she wasn't paying any mind and stepped into his path. But as soon as he felt her arm linked with his, the timid way she stood next to him… He wanted nothing more than to make her happy. A pretty young woman such as herself had no right to be melancholy, he reasoned; it was his duty as the prince to ensure her happiness.

A few days had passed since their encounter and he didn't see her again. Each afternoon he went into town in hopes of meeting her again, but each time she evaded him. Once he even visited the clockmaker's shop to ask of her father her whereabouts; the shop was closed and neither of them seemed to be around.

Georg was beginning to think her a tease.

"_Your Highness!_"

A ruler smacked down on the table and shocked the young royal enough that his pen slid across the paper and onto the wood, leaving a trail of ink in its wake. He looked up to see his tutor glaring at him. "S-sorry?" He shrugged apologetically.

"We're finished for the day." The man sighed irritably. "But you know that I'll work you doubly hard tomorrow to make up for it."

"That's fine." Georg was already up and walking to the door. "See you tomorrow!" He slid into the corridor with a relieved sigh. If he left for his afternoon ride earlier than usual, perhaps he could catch Lydia before she dodged him again.

The prince couldn't help but run through the halls with the thought. At this very moment, Lydia could be in trouble; perhaps another young man had her cornered and was actually _telling_ her things he'd read on the slip of paper from her package. He shuddered with the memory, quite shocked at the gruffness of some of his own people. What kind of prince—no, _person_ would he be if he allowed that to happen?

He burst into the courtyard, hardly giving the guards any time to open the door for him. Dashing toward the stables, he saw Kai already there, hand on the stall door of the prince's horse. The servant turned and tilted his head slightly. "Your Highness, what are you doing here already?"

"I was let out early. Is my horse ready?" He asked breathlessly.

Kai shook his head. "Not quite." He walked into the stall and returned with a piece of parchment. "But would you mind explaining this?"

Georg took the paper and his eyes glanced it over. "Oh." He crumpled it into a ball and tossed it away. "It's nothing."

"Listen, I know you like this Lindsey girl—"

"_Lydia_."

"Lydia, then. But you really shouldn't be trying to send her notes like _that_."

The prince huffed and crossed his arms, leaning against the doorway of the stables. "I didn't send her that. I found it in the package I caused her to lose. Apparently someone else was having thoughts like that about her. I took it because I didn't want her to see it."

"Ah." Kai sighed. "Georg, I'm telling you this as a friend. You can't pursue this girl."

"And why not? I never told you not to go after Gerda!"

At once the servant's face turned bright red. "Th-that's not important!" He sputtered. Smoothing back his ginger hair and straightening his cravat, he cleared his throat. "Listen, you know as well as I do that your parents aren't going to let you court her. Does she even remember you exist?"

"Well…" Georg rubbed the back of his neck as he stepped away from the doorjamb. "I haven't seen her since that afternoon. Maybe she's just busy."

"Or avoiding you because you're the _prince_." Kai turned to lead the prince's horse out of its stall. "She's got more sense than you do."

The prince gazed up at the sky. "Kai, do you remember why you like Gerda so much?"

"Well… She's not bad on the eyes. Pretty nice, sometimes. Usually she just yells at me though." He preoccupied himself by lightly brushing down the animal to remove any dirt or hay. He put his hands on his hips and hitched his voice up to mimic the maid. "_Kai, don't do this! Kai, you're doing it wrong! Kai, I swear, you're going to destroy the whole castle someday!_"

Georg chuckled and turned back to his friend. "But when she's not yelling, doesn't she just make you happy?"

"Well, sure, I guess. I like seeing her happy and I do my best to make sure it stays like that. But you've never seen her on laundry day! She turns into a regular tyrant!"

"Maybe if you'd stop staring at her long enough to not drop the baskets, she wouldn't be angry." The prince smiled at the flustered servant. "But that's how I feel about Lydia. I don't know much about her, but I _want_ to know. I need to know. She just makes me feel…_right_, somehow."

Kai snorted as he pulled down the saddle from the wall and positioned it on the horse. "Just because she makes you feel _right_ or whatever still doesn't mean the king and queen are going to let you court her."

Georg took the reins as he mounted his steed. "And why not?"

"Because, Georg, Lydia isn't royal." The servant crossed his arms. "It's simple as that."

"Then I'll just have to change their minds." He urged the horse into the sunlight. "Thanks, Kai! I'll be back later!" He spurred the animal into a gallop as he shot out of the gates.

The fjord on either side of him sparkled as he rode past. Once he got well into town, however, he slowed the horse to a safer pace, not wanting to hit any more unsuspecting civilians. He waved his acknowledgement to the townsfolk as he went along. "Good afternoon!" He called to a group of young ladies who were waving to him shyly.

They giggled like mad and scurried off, leaving him quite confused. Shrugging it off, he continued his journey to the clockmaker's shop. It was located almost at the very edge of town, with an excellent view of the fjord and surrounding mountains. A small side path weaved up into the hills, while another led down to the beach. He considered her quite fortunate for snagging such a wonderful location to live.

He dismounted the steed as he came upon the shop. No sign hung in the front window, and upon gazing inside, he saw her father sitting at the counter. "Wait right here. I'll be back." He left his horse with their mare, who stuck her head out of the small shack that served as her home. Taking a deep breath, he pushed open the door.

Her father—Mathias, if he remembered correctly—snapped his head up. "Good afternoon!" He greeted, removing the spectacles from his face. "What can I do for you?"

As Georg neared, the man gasped. "Your Highness! What an honor!"

"Thank you." Georg smiled slightly. "Actually, sir, I was wondering where your daughter may be. I…" He realized he didn't actually have a plan for what he wanted to do with her.

Fortunately Mathias didn't seem to notice. He instead nodded. "I'm afraid she's out at the moment, Your Highness. Told me something about going into the forest for a walk. That was a few hours ago now…"

"A few hours ago?" He swallowed hard. What if she were hurt? What if a wolf or a bear or some other animal got hold of her? "Do you know when she'll be back?"

"Oh, she'll be back before dark, I'm sure." Mathias shrugged. "She usually is."

"Does she do this sort of thing often?" The prince felt more than a little worried with her father's lack of concern.

Mathias nodded with a weary grin. "Almost every day before we moved to Arendelle. The girl's been cooped up in here helping me, so I told her to take the day off. I suppose she wanted to go exploring alone." He went back to his work fixing a watch. "In the meantime, can I interest you in one of my wares?"

"No thank you sir, not today. But thank you for your help." Georg bowed in respect. "Well… I'll take my leave."

"Enjoy the rest of your day, Prince."

He pushed open the door and walked outside with a sigh. Like the days before, she avoided him. Perhaps what Kai said was right; perhaps she avoided him simply because he was the prince. With a sigh he went to retrieve his horse.

Reins in hand, he turned to lead the animal back to the castle. His eyes alighted on a figure coming down the path. "Lydia?" He brightened as he recognized her dark hair. "Lydia!" Horse completely forgotten, he dashed to meet her halfway.

The girl gasped as he approached. "Y-Your Highness!" She curtsied as well as she could.

"Lydia, I've been looking for you!" He grinned, though it vanished as he noticed her somewhat bedraggled appearance and obvious lack of shoes. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine." She reached up to pluck a leaf from her braid. "I just had a bit of situation involving a hill." Her cheeks were tinted pink as she spoke. "I…tripped."

He blinked at her silently for a few moments before he began to laugh. "That's all? I do that all the time!" He pulled a few more leaves from her hair for her. "But you're not hurt?"

"No, I'll be just fine, thank you." She smiled shyly. "I think you did more damage to me with your horse than I did to myself."

He gazed at her with mock hurt. "Oh Lydia, I thought we were past that."

"I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to—"

"I'm teasing you!" His smile vanished as he realized she thought he were serious. "Here, let me escort you back home. Then… Would you like to do something with me?"

She chewed her bottom lip and fidgeted with her braid, which she pulled over her shoulder. "What kind of something?"

"Well I don't know. That's the fun part." Georg noticed her cerulean eyes were clouded with indecision. "But if you don't want to, that's all right too."

She shook her head. "No, I would like to. I just…"

"Here. You decide and in the meantime I'll take you back home. You probably want some shoes on." He held out his arm for hers again.

Lydia still hesitated but he remained determined. "I still don't bite." He smiled warmly.

Silently, she looped her arm with his. He welcomed her warmth gratefully and began walking down the path. It made him almost giddy, being able to look down and see her beside him. He never wanted to let her go. But… He could only hope she felt the same. It was never enough just for him to love; this he'd learned already.

He decided then and there he would make it his new mission to not only ensure her happiness, but to gain her love. As Prince of Arendelle, this he vowed to do without fail.


	4. Slight Progress

**Thanks to those who have reviewed, favorited, and followed this story. I apologize for the wait. Also, you'll notice I changed the title; thanks to my English teacher for that. Please, enjoy. **

**Disclaimer: I only own my OCs. **

* * *

Georg waited patiently outside the shop for her. He leaned against the building, arms crossed and one foot pressed on the wood to keep him upright. As soon as the door opened, he leapt into a more dignified pose. "Ready?"

"Er, yes." She flipped her long braid over her shoulder so it hung down her back. "Where are we going, exactly?"

"I dunno. Where would you like to go, milady?" He bowed to her, a goofy smile on his face.

Lydia simply stepped back and turned her head. She regarded him from the corner of her eye. "I…don't mind…"

Georg straightened. "I make you uncomfortable, don't I?" His jade eyes were downcast.

"N-no, you don't! I just… I'm so sorry…" She chewed her bottom lip slightly.

"I won't do that again, I promise. I should be more considerate." He nodded and cleared his throat. "Let's try that again. Are you ready to go for a walk? That is, if you don't mind. I'd like to show you around Arendelle."

At this Lydia finally matched his gaze. "That would be helpful."

_Helpful_. Not _nice_, _fun_, or _wonderful_, but _helpful_. He smiled slightly. Though it wasn't much, it was progress, especially after he bungled the first try. "Great!" He held out his arm for her on instinct. As usual she regarded him with hesitation. "Ah, right. Lydia, if you don't want to take it, don't."

"I think I'm going to decline…" She shrugged as an apology.

"Not a problem! Just stick by me and you'll be fine. Wouldn't want you getting lost!" He turned to face the marketplace with a smile and began walking.

Lydia managed to keep up with his long strides easily. After only a few moments of silence, the prince piped up again. "So how are you liking Arendelle?"

"I've only been here for about a week, but… I like it. It's nice."

"Done much exploring other than in the forest?"

She shook her head. "Not really. I had to help Father prepare the shop before we could open for business." She glanced up at him. "Well, besides that day in the market."

Georg nodded, his eyes travelling over to the flower stand where the woman stood that helped them before. "Good afternoon!" He called, walking over to her.

"Ah, good afternoon Your Highness." The woman smiled up at him. It grew to a grin when she noticed Lydia behind him. "And hello to you, my dear. Good to see you're doing much better."

"Thank you, ma'am." Lydia reached up to the fading bruise on the back of her head where she hit the ground.

She smiled before turning back to the prince. "So, what can I do for you today?"

"I wanted to thank you properly for helping us when you did. So!" Georg pulled out some money from his pocket. "I'd like to buy some flowers. Er, _a_ flower."

"Pick anything you'd like, Your Highness!" She waved her arm over the stall, drawing his attention to it.

He perused the abundance of flowers, feeling a bit overwhelmed. His mother always enjoyed having flowers around the castle and took frequent walks in the gardens during spring, but he never paid much attention to them. He looked over to see Lydia gently handling one of the few plants he knew well: a crocus. "That one." He pointed to the petals in her hand. "I'll take that one."

Lydia blinked rapidly and looked up at him. "Hm?" Her fingers were cupped around the plant protectively. "I was only trying to figure out what it was…"

After depositing the coin in the woman's hand, he plucked the flower from Lydia. "This is a crocus flower. They're only found in a few places in the world, Arendelle being one of them." He tucked it in her hair, fitting the stem behind her ear. "It grows even in winter, so it's the perfect flower for a place like this. If you haven't noticed, the crocus is sort of the symbol of Arendelle."

She reached up to feel over the violet petals, her fingertips tracing the plant. "I see."

"Looks good on you." Georg nodded his approval and turned to the face the opposite side of the market. "Oh, hey!" He dashed to the other stand.

Lydia smiled, ever so slightly, and followed him at a much slower pace. She tried to look around the prince to see what he was doing. He whirled around, holding something in his hand. "What is that?" She asked.

"Try some." He pulled off a piece for her and held it before her lips.

"I… I can feed myself, you know…" She reached up to take it form his fingers before she slid it in her mouth. It was still warm and practically melted on her tongue. "Oh my…"

He grinned as he proceeded to take a large bite from the pastry. "See? It's good!" He swallowed hard.

She giggled softly. "You've got some sugar on your nose."

"I do?" He rolled his eyes down toward his nose in an effort to see it. "I don't see anything."

She covered her mouth with her hand as she tried desperately not to laugh at his expression. "I-it's right on the tip, Your Highness."

"I can't see it!" He uncrossed his eyes and shook his head. "Heh… Now I'm a bit dizzy…"

"Here." She wiped it off with her thumb. "It's gone."

"Thanks." Georg held out the pastry. "Want some more?"

They shared the snack as he continued to lead her along. He explained various buildings in the town around bites. She ate in small morsels that she popped into her mouth at intervals. "There's so much here…" She commented, reaching for another bite.

"Arendelle's pretty great." As he went to grab the snack he instead gripped her fingers. Looking down, he saw the snack was gone. "Oh. Well then."

She cleared her throat. "You can let go of me if you'd like."

Georg blinked rapidly and released her. "R-right! Sorry."

"It's all right, Your Highness."

"You can call me Georg you know." He frowned slightly. "I'd really prefer that you did. I get called Prince and stuff all day at home, and, well, I'm not at home right now. So don't worry about it." The prince noticed her conflicted expression. "But you can do whatever you want. I don't want to make you do something that makes you uncomfortable."

Lydia matched his gaze. "I'll give it some thought."

"I'll hold you to that."

She tore her eyes from him as something in the sky caught her attention. "Hm?" A seagull, soaring above them. She glanced around to see he'd led her to the docks. Turning, she saw the expanse of the fjord stretch out before her.

"It's pretty, isn't it?" He stepped forward to stand beside her. "It's best at sunset. Then the sun is shining and it just looks great on the mountains. It's fantastic."

"I can imagine…" She walked toward the end of the dock.

He followed her at a distance, choosing to admire her instead. Leaning on one of the posts, he rested his chin on his fist and watched her stare off toward the mountains surrounding Arendelle. The breeze ruffled her dress and her braid waved slightly. She turned her head to see him. "Is something wrong?"

"No, not at all." He smiled warmly.

She shrugged and turned back.

Georg knew that as much as he wanted to continue to gaze at her, both of them had lives to return to. He cleared his throat. "Lydia, I should probably get back to the castle before my parents start to worry."

"Of course." She whirled to face him. As she did so, her foot rolled on the rope coiled near one of the posts at the edge of the pier; an unruly section decided to come uncoiled from the stack. She gasped and began to fall backwards toward the water.

The prince dashed forward, lunging at her. He managed to catch her wrist with one hand and pulled her toward him, wrapping his other arm about her. Tucking her close to his body, he stepped away from the edge. "Are you all right?" He gazed down at her where she trembled against him.

She nodded weakly. "Th-thank you." She giggled then. "That was like some sort of trust fall."

"Yeah." He noticed that she had yet to shy away from him. His lips twitched into a gentle smile. "I guess it was."


End file.
